My poor dog - his time has come :(

[mumofjust1]

He is a Stafford and almost 15 years old. He's the soppiest most loving dog we have ever had.

He has lost control of his bowels, he is getting skinnier by the day, he looks a picture of misery.

Vet appointment tonight, 4.40pm.

I'm so sad :(

I've had my dog longer than I've had my DD.

He once tried to protect me from an ex who was attacking me.

I love him so much, can't bear to be without him, but I know it's for the best :(

He's gone :(

My handsome, gentle, brave, soppy, lovely, funny boy.

Devastated is an understatement.

The vet was lovely and checked him thoroughly. She said he had either liver failure or a tumor and that the kindest thing - given his age etc - would be to put him to sleep. He would not have lasted much longer she said, and would start to experience pain in the next couple of days.

It was peaceful, we held him and I stayed a while with him afterwards.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to make a complaint against their receptionist. She has always been awful, but really upset me today.

While we were waiting for the nurses to prepare him, she said in a big loud voice, in a waiting room full of people "what happened then, did he bite someone, is that why you're having him put down?" I was stunned. I said to her "you've seen him, he's 15, can hardly walk, can't see and can't hear - of course he didn't bite anyone"

How dare she?

Can anyone help me word a letter? My head is muddled.

Thanks to all of you again for your kind words - they have really helped. Sorry to all of you have been through the same, and Ormiriathomimus, so sorry to hear about your cat :(

Oh, mum. (((HUGS)))

Someone cleverer than me will be along to help you with a letter, I just wanted to say have been thinking of you all afternoon.

So sorry it was time to say goodbye.

RIP Lovely Staffy.

Got me in tears here mumofjust1. Its the very last act of love you can carry out for your wonderful boy, and incredibly brave. We lost our girl earlier this year so can understand completely the raw emptiness you are feeling right now. Its almost a physical pain isn't it.

Its 4 months on for us now, all I can say is it does get easier and sadly you do get more used to them not being there. Take it gently wont you, the coming weeks will be tough. We're just starting to be able to look back and smile at the lovely times we had with our girl, and know that she had a great life with us. It will be the same for you I promise and never forget - you gave your boy a wonderful life and he was truly loved xx

PS re the bloody awful receptionist, how about giving yourself a couple of days, then put some words together?

Oh petal. It's so hard to take them into the vets, isn't it? It's the last really kind and unselfish thing you do for them though.

When they pass on at the vets, it's so peaceful, you can see the relief on their faces, and I bet he looked so relaxed afterwards, you could see he wasn't suffering any more. And he had you there, to say goodbye. So much nicer for him than going it alone, and so very much harder for you.

Be very kind to yourself, and allow yourself to grieve, because there is no such thing as "just a pet"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

how about......

Dear lovely vet.

Thank you for your kindness towards [doggie name] in his final moments. It was a hard decision to have him PTS but I was reassured that I was doing the right thing by him.

However, I was very upset by the attitude of your receptionist, who asked me in front of other pet owners whether I was having him put to sleep for biting.

As you will recall, Doggie was blind, deaf, and very elderly at the end. In his prime he was loving and gentle and never aggressive.

I expect a veterinary receptionist to know more about animals than to subscribe to the stereotype of staffie = aggressive. I also expected a little more sensitivity to an owner about to lose her beloved companion.

I hope you will address this with your receptionist, so that she may show the same levels of care and compassion as yourself.

SIncerely etc

I'm so sorry.

So sorry for your loss and how rude of the receptionist, how dare she, i wouldn't expect this from someone who works with animals .

So sorry, it is never easy ( and I'm facing a similar situation myself) but eventually you just have to do what is best for them, he was a lucky dog - especially for a Staffie- to have had his whole life with one wonderful owner.

I'm so sorry for your loss. We had our lovely dog put down last year in January, he was such a lovely old boy and he probably could have carried on but he was starting not to be able to walk, he could hardly see and he was very doddery. Someone said to me "better a week too early than a day too late" and that gave me such comfort - to know that our boy hadn't suffered. We also lost our lovely bitch a few years ago, but she had a stroke and had to be PTS suddenly, that just about ripped the heart out of our family.

I would definately send Hattis letter to the vet, if the stupid ignorant recptionist cant keep her disgusting comments to herself she shouldn't be doing that job.

So sorry

Receptionist shouldn't be working in a vets if she is so ignorant. Hatti's letter is good.